Sleep and exercise will make you smarter way more than doing brain puzzles

1. Sleep deprivation is just as harmful and hurts your productivity just exactly the same way going to work drunk would be
2. There is something that makes a really big dent in your intelligence, that has a lot more impact, and that is unfortunately physical exercise
3. Taking fast walks 5 times a week can make you smarter than doing…any ..puzzles

- From Kathy Sierra’s creating passionate users talk

She recently spoke at the Future of Web Apps Conference London 2008.

More questions than answers

How do you measure inspiration?

How valuable is inspiration? How much are you willing to pay for inspiration?

How do you measure the social (not material) success of an art piece, or an art exhibition/event?

I toured a number of galleries and shows recently, and had been involved in the setting up of a photography exhibition couple of months back. It got me thinking and questioning the importance of showing and exhibiting a body of art work. How does touring an art gallery or simply viewing art affect a person? Can looking at art make someone a better person? Can it change his mind about something? Can it make him feel something so deep it changed him?

Have you ever looked at a work of art and felt that something inside of you has changed, like it stretches your mind, or it impacts you greatly at a personal level? I think I haven’t. There is always that one or two art pieces in a gallery that will catch my eye and got me to think differently about something depicted . But there is none so far which has impacted me in a way that has changed me profoundly. So what’s the big deal about art? In fact, most of the time when I’m looking at a piece of painting, I think about how long does it take the painter to paint that, and I start to think whether it has been time well spent. Does the painting get to people? Does it matter if people understand the painting?

* by art I’m mostly referring to paintings, particularly abstract paintings which I think are the least understood.

On a side note, I go through this kind of phase a lot. There are times when I get back to doubting the importance of art, and then there are times when I kinda get what its about. I understand the personal need to make art, for self expression, or for fun. It beats watching the tv. But I don’t get it when it is enforced on to the public and asked to be taken seriously. Any pieces of work that ends up showing in an exhibition or gallery wants to be taken seriously. I feel that it is no longer just personal. It tries to make a statement. It wants to be heard.

Almost 3 years in art college and I’m still not convinced. Although I’m studying design not art. HUGE difference between the two. But let’s save that for another post.